Take two: Best resale cars

Most cars are worth a fraction of their original cost after five years. XPRESS gets auto experts to tell you which vehicles hold their worth better than others.

Compact/ small saloons

The Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz retain the most (55-60 per cent) residual value after 3 years in the hatchback and compact car categories while the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic lead the pack of small saloons, says Michael Brightmore, General Manager, Al Futtaim Automall. The Nissan Tiida and Chevrolet Aveo are also considered good buys by auto experts because of their slower depreciation rates.

MID-SIZE and large SALOONS

The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are likely to hold around 60 per cent of their value after three years. As vehicle depreciation in mid-size saloons goes, that’s as good as gold. Among large saloons, the Ford 500, Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 models will still be worth a lot of money after 4-5 years because of their brand reputation and desirability, says Mohammad Sa’ad, who runs a used car showroom in Sharjah’s Abu Shagara area.

Sports utility vehicles

Julian White, Sales and Operations Manager, 4X4 Motors, reckons the ubiquitous Toyota Prado has the maximum resale value followed by the Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol and Jeep Wrangler. But Sameer of Western Auto contends that any list of the best reselling SUVs would be incomplete without the Rav4. The unassuming Hyundai Tucson and the Ford Explorer are also good investments. Among big SUVs, nothing beats the GMC Acadia and Ford Expedition.

SPORTS coupés and roadsters

At Dh265,000, buying the Porsche 911 coupé can hurt, but on the plus side, after five years it will still retain a 45-50 per cent value, making it arguably one of the best selling sports coupés in the UAE. "The residual value of the Audi R8, BMW 6 series and Aston Martin are also good," says Harish, Sales Manager, Exotic Cars. Other hands down winners in this category include the Ford Mustang and the Corvette.

NEWS facts

• On an average, most cars retain between 30 and 35 per cent of their value after five years of their purchase
• Cars which have clocked below 25,000km in a year have the best resale value
• Uniquely attractive models generate more demand
• Small measures like keeping full service history from the dealer maximise the worth of the car
• Colour has a huge impact on the resale value. Silver is the most popular colour
• Irvine-based auto data firm Kelley Blue Book ranked Toyota and Volkswagen models in its top 10 list of best reselling cars last year